Hundreds of troops carrying out demolitions at illegal outposts

Hundreds of Israeli security personnel descend on several outposts outside of the flashpoint Yitzhar settlement in the northern West Bank to carry out demolitions of six illegal structures.

Four of the structures are located in the Kipa Sruga and Tekuma outposts in Area C, and two are in Kumi Ori in Area B, according to a spokesman for the Civil Administration — the Defense Ministry body that authorizes West Bank construction.

While the Oslo Accords bar Israelis from building in Area B, the residents of Kumi Ori — where only a handful of families live along with several dozen far-right activists known as hilltop youth — have long flouted those laws.

One of the two homes demolished in Kumi Ori belongs to the family of Neria Zarog, who, according to a security official who spoke to The Times of Israel last year, is a “violent extremist” who has inspired attacks against Palestinians and Israeli forces alike.

Zarog rebuilt his home almost immediately after it was razed for its lack of permits in January, a Civil Administration spokesman says.

Zarog was arrested this morning for “refusing to evacuate” the scene in order for the security forces to raze his home, a Border Police spokesman says.

— Jacob Magid